The Flying Eagles of Nigeria kept their U20 World Cup campaign alive after a late penalty sealed a dramatic 3-2 win over Saudi Arabia in a Group F match at the Fiscal Stadium in Chile on Friday.
Captain Daniel Bameyi showed nerves of steel when he stepped up in stoppage time to convert from the spot, giving Nigeria all three points after the Saudis had twice dragged themselves back into the contest.
“We knew we had to respond after losing the first match,” Bameyi said after the victory. “The team fought hard, and I’m happy I was able to take responsibility for the penalty.”
Aliyu Zubair’s boys had started brightly, with Nasiru Salihu opening the scoring before Amos Ochoche restored the lead through a well-worked free-kick routine. But defensive errors let Saudi Arabia back into the game twice, with Amar Al-Ayuba and Talal Haji taking advantage of lapses at the back.
The tense finish came when a Saudi defender handled a cross inside the box deep into added time. Bameyi coolly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to seal the 3-2 win, sparking wild celebrations among the Nigerian players.
Ochoche, whose deflected cross had earlier given Nigeria the advantage, said the team had shown resilience. “We didn’t allow our mistakes to break us. We kept pushing because we knew what was at stake,” he explained.
The result lifts Nigeria to third in Group F with three points, just one behind Colombia and Norway. The Flying Eagles must now defeat Colombia in their final group game on October 6 to guarantee a place in the round of 16.
